Lunch strategies & recipes

[Laura B.]

I figured out recently (slow learner) that I really have to trick myself into eating my packed lunch.  My problem is twofold: by 12:30, I just CANNOT STAND to sit at my desk any longer.  And, I work in an area with a lot of pretty good takeout food options.  So, whatever I bring for lunch has to be 200% as delicious and enticing as a normal meal in order to convince me to stay at my desk and eat it.  It helps if I bring something that's not easily obtainable in a quarter-mile radius to my office. The good news is, once I figured out how to game the system, my lunches got a lot more interesting.  So, in hopes that it's helpful to someone else --

What doesn't work for me: sandwiches of any kind, any salad that's mainly leafy greens, leftover pasta of any kind.  All of these things SEEM like good ideas when I'm packing my lunch, and then around noon I'm like, "eh, or I could get a burrito."

What does work: bean-based salads, dal + rice, miso soup (this one is weird, for some reason miso soup really fills me up), hummus + hummus accessories, soups of any kind + bread. 

And here are some recipes:

Chickpea and feta salad (adjust all quantities to your taste)
2-3 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 red onion
1 dry pint (standard grocery store size container) grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled if you want, seeds removed
1 green pepper
about 1/4 lb water packed feta
salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice (or mild vinegar)

Cut all the veg + feta into roughly chickpea sized pieces.  Combine everything in a large bowl, add about 1 tsp salt, couple of grinds of pepper, 1-2 tbsp olive oil, and the juice of half a lemon.  You can eat immediately but it's best to let it sit for at least half an hour to let the onion mellow out a bit.  The vegetables will give off a fair amount of liquid (especially if you forget to seed the cucumber -- do not forget to seed the cucumber!) so don't overdress the salad.


How to make dal -- a guide for fellow white people

Dal is a soupy legume-based dish served daily in India but rarely in Indian restaurants.  It can be as elaborate or simple as you like.  I don't follow a recipe... more like I improvise based on what's on hand.  I make no claims to authenticity, only to yumminess. You'll need:

Dal (both the dish and the ingredient are called "dal" -- stick with me here) -- split, hulled lentils.  The easiest to find are masoor dal or split red lentils, available in hippie grocery stores and Indian groceries alike.  Toor dal (yellow dal) are also good.  Chana dal are unique among dals (to the best of my knowledge) in that they retain their shape even after long cooking.  The other dals will break down into a soupy, velvety puree of deliciousness.
Turmeric (ground) and salt
Fat -- ghee is traditional, regular butter is fine.  I suppose you could use vegetable oil but I've never tried this.
Delicious flavorful and/or spicy things -- onions, scallions, hot peppers, tomatoes, spices (cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cloves), curry leaves, spinach, ginger root, garlic, dried hot peppers... etc
cooked rice or bread, to serve

Start with about 1/2 cup of uncooked dal.  Rinse well under running water until the water runs clear.  Put the dal in a saucepan (bear in mind it will expand!) and cover with about 2 inches of water.  Add a pinch of turmeric and maybe 1/2 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for about 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on it and adding more water if it runs dry.  You'll know it's done when the dal start to break apart.

Now it's time to make the seasoning (tadka).  What you are trying to do here is flavor the fat, which will then be added to the dal. So start by melting a good 2-3 tbsp of butter in a small pan.  You should look at it and think, "hmmm, that is more butter than I'd usually use."  When it's hot, add the ingredients you've chosen from the list above (exceptions -- spinach or anything like it -- doesn't need to be fried, can just be added to the dal about 5 minutes before serving).  Start with any of the spices, then add the vegetal stuff, saute over high heat until it's fragrant and delicious looking.  Remove from heat and dump the whole mess into the dal.  It will sputter and hiss a bit -- this is ok.  Let this cook for 5 minutes, test for salt, and serve. (Optional: squeeze 1/2 a lemon or lime into the dal.)

Here are some combinations I like: Ginger-Lime Dal (scroll down), Tomato Dal, Scallion Dal, or just fry up a mess of onions and dump 'em in there.